Pterocalla (Pterocalla) maculata Hernández-Ortiz & Arias-Velázquez, 1989

Hernández-Ortiz, Vicente & Hernández-López, Mónica, 2019, Taxonomical notes on the Neotropical genus Pterocalla Rondani (Diptera: Ulidiidae), with description of a new species from Mexico, Israel Journal of Entomology (Oxford, England) 49 (2), pp. 169-177 : 174-176

Pterocalla (Pterocalla) maculata Hernández-Ortiz & Arias-Velázquez, 1989

( Figs 4–6, 12–15)

Pterocalla (Pterocalla) maculata Hernández-Ortiz & Arias-Velázquez, 1989: 399 , fig. 1B. (Type locality: Los Tuxtlas, Mexico.)

Diagnosis: Body generally reddish brown coated with fine greyish pollinosity with golden reflections, with irregular dark brown spots specially on scutum and pleuron; orbital setae well developed, ocellars about 0.5× as long as orbitals; wing pattern with distinctive coloration similar to P. amnoni , with two hyaline spots in cell sc; apical third of wing characterized by six well-defined marginal hyaline spots: each one in cells r 1 and r 3, respectively; two others in cell r 5, one in the middle and lower shared with cell m crossing vein M; in addition to two other spots at lower margin of cell m; lateral surstylus sharpened apically in posterolateral view; medial surstylus with strong sclerotized prensiseta, preceded by 4 translucent spine-like setae; phallus membranous and smooth; distiphallus fitted with yellow internal sclerite and a single apical black protrusion.

Redescription ( Fig. 4): Head. Reddish yellow with dark spots on the lower margin of frons close to lunula, at the vertex and the ocellar triangle; orbital margins with greyish pollinosity and brown dark spots surrounding the bases of the orbital and vertical setae; frons with few short hairs on the lower half; antennae reddish brown basally (scape and pedicel), flagellomere mostly dark brown; face dark yellow; ocellar setae nearly 0.5× as long as orbitals.

Thorax. Measurements (mm): female length 1.93–2.02; male length 1.90–2.14. Scutum covered by fine grayish pollinosity with golden reflections from presutural area, fading gradually backwards until brown color prevails, in addition to brown dots on yellowish areas on bases of setae and setulae, being larger medially along dorsocentral and acrostichal lines; scutellum with some areas covered by gray pollinosity, including two big dark spots extending from middle disc towards basal scutellar seta, and two others surrounding apical scutellar seta; pleuron dark brownish with irregular darker spots. Legs. Foreleg with femur yellow apically and several dark spots lengthwise, tibia and tarsomeres mostly yellow; mid- and hind-legs with femora and tibiae mostly yellow with wide black rings (especially in mid-leg), all tarsi yellow.

Wing ( Fig. 5). Holotype 4.9 mm long; measurements for additional specimens: female 4.43–4.52 mm long, 1.81–1.95 mm wide (ratio length/width 2.38 ± 0.07); male 4.57–4.67 mm long, 1.95–2.10 mm wide (ratio length/width 2.28 ± 0.06); ratio thorax/wing = 0.44 ± 0.02. Wing pattern brownish black, except in the bottom half which is hyaline in cell CuA 1; cells r 1, r 3, r 5, br and dm with paler conspicuous spots, surrounded by a distinctive hyaline halo; apical margin with remarkable hyaline spots as follows: one basal and one apical in cell sc; large hyaline mark in cell r 1, immediately after tip of vein R 1; two placed in apical margin in cells r 3 and r 5; besides three marginal hyaline markings in cell m. Apical third of wing with two well-defined small ocellar spots, one in cell r 3 and other in cell r 5, along with hyaline point (without surrounding dark halo) on the latter, at level of the dm–cu vein. Haltere whitish.

Abdomen. Tergites covered by fine yellow pollinosity with irregular brown dots; ovipositor sheath heart-shaped, nearly as long as the three preceding tergites combined.

Male terminalia ( Figs 6, 12, 13). Epandrium brownish red, nearly spherical; medial surstylus with a single robust prensiseta, preceded by four translucent spines of subequal length; lateral surstylus about ½ of epandrium length, with apex rounded in posterior view, but sharpened in posterolateral view; phallus coiled approximately three times, with blackish strongly sclerotized edges, lacking cuticular teeth along membrane; distiphallus hyaline membranous, with yellow inner sclerite, besides black heavily sclerotized rounded protrusion.

Female terminalia ( Figs 14, 15). Oviscape 0.75–0.81 mm long and 0.90–0.98 mm wide basally; aculeus length 1.40–1.41 mm (n=2); aculeus tip tapering gradually to the apex with three subapical sensorial spines in ventral view.

Holotype (examineD): ♀ Mexico: Veracruz, Estación de Biología Los Tuxtlas , 160 m, 14.xi.1986, E. Ramírez ( CNIN, formerly IBUNAM).

Other specimens examined: Mexico: Veracruz, San Andres Tuxtla , Est. Biol. Tropical Los Tuxtlas UNAM, 231 m [18°34'58"N 95°04'35"W], M.MaDora: 9.ii.2014 (1♂ IEXA) , 3.iii.2014 (1♂ 1♀ IEXA; 1♂ CNIN), 31.iii.2014 (1♀ CNIN) ; same localitY [18°34'06"N 95°04'37"W], 246 m, 3.iii.2014, M. MaDora (1♀ IEXA) .